SOFTBALL

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BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo softball team put forth a valiant effort in the second game of a doubleheader with Akron, battling back from two-run deficits to tie the score on two separate occasions only to have the Zips score the winning run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-5 victory. Akron (11-13, 4-3) won the opening game of the doubleheader by a 12-2 score, keeping the Bulls (3-26, 0-9) winless in their first season competing in the Mid-American Conference.

Akron exploded for three runs in the first inning, six runs in the fourth and three runs in the seventh to take commanding control of game one. The Zips pounded out 16 hits in the game and left just four runners on base, giving freshman pitcher Tina McCauley plenty of support in picking up her third win of the season. Buffalo's two runs came in the fourth inning when sophomore Kelly Malone (Waterford, MI/Waterford Kettering) connected for her third home run of the year, driving in freshman Marce Ross (Barrie, Ontario/St. Peter's), who had reached first base on a walk. Malone was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored for the game.

The Zips started game two strong as well, scoring two runs in their first at-bat. Buffalo sophomore Jessica Kensy (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale) then hit her first career home run in the second inning to cut the Bulls' deficit in half, but the Zips went up by two again, 3-1, when Tracee McCoy drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning. Freshman Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) started the Buffalo fourth inning with a single up the middle and then scored on a double by freshman Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield). The Bulls tied the score at 3-3 when Robbins crossed the plate on an error by the Zips' catcher, who threw the ball away trying to get Kensy out at first following a dropped third strike. Akron went up by two again the following inning, taking advantage of an illegal pitch by Kensy, who came on in relief of starter Andrea Sage (Depew, NY/Depew), and an error by UB catcher Kim Lawrence (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg/Erie CC). The Bulls would not give up, however, and they answered back with two runs of their own to tie the score for the second time, 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth inning, on a two-run home run by freshman Allison Round (Markham, Ontario/Markham District), the first of her career, which also drove in senior Stacee Madden (Corning, NY/Corning East/Allegheny College), who had led off the inning with a walk. The Zips put the winning run across the plate in the seventh inning when Rianne Hess doubled to score Tiffany McCoy, and they retired the Bulls in order in the bottom of the seventh to hold on for the win.

The Bulls next travel to Western Michigan for a three-game series with the Broncos on Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7. Buffalo's next home game is on Wednesday, April 11 at 3 pm against St. Bonaventure.